I’ve spent a lot of time fighting in court about intellectual property ownership and cleaning up startup’s IP messes. I’ve linked to some later posts that explain the topics in more detail and give specific tips about IP protection and avoiding legal liability. I really prefer prevention. Ignorance is not bliss.

Every startup CEO who is growing a scalable company should make sure that her startup owns the IP rights to work created by independent contractors. Consequently, a company must have a signed written agreement with the author/inventor that transfers the IP rights to the company. Oral agreements are not sufficient to transfer IP rights.

Without legal protection, the company’s public IP could be freely used — even by competitors. Obviously, investors care about the scope and quality of a company’s IP protection before they invest. In my experience as an IP attorney, however, few entrepreneurs really understand the value of IP. IP Basic

For startups that have multiple founders or shareholders, want VC funding, or intend to create a valuable company that can be sold for a fortune, the answer to whether the startup owns the IP rights to work created by company founders is critical. Contract Law Copyright Law IP Basics IP Mistakes & Blunders Patent Law Startup Basics

Because custom software can be highly valuable and expensive, it’s important to understand IP ownership issues. I’ve seen millions of dollars spent on litigation trying to untangle IP ownership and millions of dollars of potential revenue lost because IP ownership issues couldn’t be cleaned up after the code was created.
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One of the most damaging omissions is not taking the proper steps to ensure the company owns all of the rights to the IP created by all founders. You should all sign the IP assignment agreements at the very beginning when everyone is committed to the company’s success. Most standard form agreements don’t have this provision.
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As an IP attorney who has conducted due diligence for VCs, Angels, and acquiring companies, I’m wondering: Is your startup ready for due diligence? Let me explain what IP due diligence is and why your preparation today is important. You want to be prepared for IP due diligence and not delay or derail your future deals.
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Many companies, however, don’t consider IP protection until they need it.”. Here are the most common areas where most companies have some form of IP protection. Tags: IP Basics Recently, I went to a meeting of fledgling entrepreneurs. I introduced myself as an intellectual property attorney. Trademark law. Copyright Law.
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And few have a strategic IP plan. Screwing up your IP, however, can devastate the value of your company forever. Your employer may claim it owns all of the IP built on top of the old code. You may lose ownership of all of the IP of your key technology. It pays to think about IP law early and develop a strategic IP plan.
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